Thomas Strønen is becoming somewhat of a ubiquitous presence, and brings a considerable amount to the table in any setting that he finds himself. He has co-led the group Food with saxophonist Iain Ballamy since the late 1990's from their initial formation as a quartet to the present duo format to which they will often add guests musicians as on their new album This Is Not A Miracle (also on ECM).

This latest album under his own name, Time Is A Blind Guide is also the name of the group, and originates from a commission by UK Broadcaster, Fiona Talkington for new music to be performed at the Conexions concert series she was curating. The invitation to write for a group comprising of British and Norwegian musicians has thrown together some unlikely bedfellows, and yet produced music that is deeply centered and focussed, and yet retains a lightness and fleet delivery that swings hard despite the unorthodox time signatures deployed. This trait is evidently displayed in the powerful 'I Don't Wait For Anyone' that will indeed leave behind any stragglers. With a strong rhythmic propulsion from bass and drums, pianist Kit Downes gets a chance to cut loose and fly, and reiterates my belief that he seems to reserve his best playing on other peoples records.

Although initially assembled for the one of performance of the commissioned work, Strønen felt that there was the potential to take the music further, and this has been confirmed in this recording. The group have played the music in concerts over a two year period prior to entering the studio, and this is rapport with the music is readily apparent in the performance heard here. The drummer brings an inevitably strong yet often underplayed rhythmic element to his compositions. With a fondness for unusual time signatures the music still somehow flows in a manner that is still very melodic but hard to pin down and tap your foot to.

The compositions incorporate diverse musical styles, from percussion driven motifs to cleverly scored passages of through composed sections that give way to a freer and more improvised dialogue between the players. Throughout the entire album the core element is the trio of piano, bass and drums and how they relate to the additional strings and percussion. Sometimes this will result in players splintering off from the ensemble to form other duo and trio combinations before once again gathering as a unified and coherent ensemble.

By doing this Thomas Strønen's compositions seem to evolve and become one with the group, or it the other way round? However perceived, what is certain is the quality of the resulting music in a programme that inveigles its way into the subconscious and leaves behind a feeling of serenity and calm, and the memories of the melodies lingering in the mind.

Reviewed by Nick Lea ​

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